This past December, my mother was diagnosed with a very bad infection and had to be hospitalized for three weeks. For a variety of reasons, her illness was one of the most surreal and traumatic experiences of my life. 

First off, seeing my mother in such bad shape was very frightening. When she first fell ill and was sent to the ICU, she had to be intubated to help her breathe, just like I was when I was 14 years old. Watching her struggle to breathe as plastic tubes protruded from her mouth brought up so many emotions; fear, uncertainty, sadness.